Highlights

Chandigarh Traffic Police department supports him for this social endeavour

New Delhi: “Meri gal sun haaniya, tainu gal samjhauni aan… daaru pee ke gaddi na chalaayi oye, Chandigarh naake lagde” (Listen, oh my beloved, understand an important point… don’t drink and drive in Chandigarh, else traffic police will not spare you). This is not a song sung by a Punjabi singer, but by a head constable of the Chandigarh Traffic Police, Bhupinder Singh. He has penned down the lyrics and recorded the song to sensitise motorists (especially youngsters) of the union territory, who can often be found enjoying loud, groovy, foot tapping Punjabi numbers sometimes glorifying liquor consumption or glamourising fast cars and speeding. Youngsters who are the target audience for these peppy songs, to be in tune with these trending numbers without understanding the true implications, end up violating traffic rules or worse meet with an accident.

According to the data provided by the city traffic police, Chandigarh witnessed 107 fatal road accidents in 2017, the lowest in the city since 2013, while more than 6,000 drivers were fined for drunk driving in the city.

“Back in 2012, when I joined the Chandigarh Traffic Police department, I witnessed that youngsters used to deliberately break the traffic signals and sometimes drive on the wrong side. When I challaned a number of motorists, I realised they were violating road safety rules under the influence of a song (starring Jimmy Sheirgill) which glorifies breaking traffic signals and driving as per one likes… without caring about the traffic laws,” explained the head constable.

Here’s the lyric of that song:

“Saade apne rule, saade apne asool. Assi jithe jaavan ge gaddi moudan ge, Phir saare de saare signal todan ge” (We have our own rules and regulations. We will turn the car wherever we feel like, and we will then break all of the traffic signals)

Following this incident and understanding that music has a lot of sway, especially on the youth, Mr Singh, decided to constructively utilise his talent and pen down songs about road safety. So far, he has written around 7 songs and one also got funded (for professional recording) by the Chandigarh traffic department. And, that song is also available as a caller tune.

The Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic), Chandigarh, Shashank Anand is also an admirer of Mr Singh’s talent that he utilises for the benefit of society. Mr Anand has set constable Singh’s song as a caller tune on his official number.

To save the youth from moving towards drunk driving and breaking the road safety rules, the Chandigarh Traffic Police now organises public gatherings, seminars at various schools and colleges, where Mr Singh sings the road safety songs. He also performed during the 29th Road Safety Week, observed by the Chandigarh Police.

We are also telling singers that they should understand their social responsibility. As liquor consumption is glorified in songs, many people, especially the youngsters, tend to follow them… and singers should avoid singing objectionable lyrics promoting liquor consumption, said a senior officer of the Chandigarh Traffic Police.

There are a wide range of songs written by Mr Singh that emphasises on various road safety measures, including the importance of wearing a helmet both for men and women while riding a two-wheeler, say no to drunken driving and not to exceed the speed limits.

The latest song Mr Singh has come up with, and is shared by Sanjay Tandon, State President, Bhartiya Janata Party, Chandigarh, on his Twitter account, goes like:

“Bina gal te horn kyu bajaye janda hae” (why are you honking without any reason). This was sung to support the ongoing campaign of the traffic police against honking in the city to control noise pollution.

The talented traffic officer stated that he has a number of road safety ideas in his mind, and he will continue to pen down and sing songs to make people aware about the importance of following traffic rules.